Who was the first NHL player to reach 1,000 career points?

Gordie Howe was the first NHL player to reach 1,000 career points. He achieved the milestone on November 27, 1960, recording an assist against the Toronto Maple Leafs in his 938th game.

Howe spent his first 25 NHL seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and became known as “Mr. Hockey.” His combination of scoring, durability, physical strength, and defensive awareness made him one of the league’s most complete players. He eventually finished his NHL career with 1,850 points: 801 goals and 1,049 assists.

Wayne Gretzky later surpassed Howe’s scoring records and reached 1,000 points much faster, but he was not the first to reach the milestone. The achievement refers to regular-season NHL points, which combine goals and assists; playoff statistics are tracked separately. Howe’s 1,000th point came six seasons before the NHL celebrated its first 1,000-point scorer besides him.